Last Summer NOW 24.5
To the airport, the airport.
Hi again, everyone.
(And a fresh welcome to my new followers who’ve come here from the essential ‘Stack So It Goes, the property of critic extraordinaire Stephen Thomas Erlewine, whose 1’s and 0’s on albums and tunes were among the first I read on the computer more than a quarter-century ago. For those who don’t know, Tom’s ridden the digital era’s culture media rollercoaster longer than most, as AMG was subsequently routed and re-routed through numerous corporate byways and was recently laid off by the latest iteration, one called the stupid fucking dystopian techname Xperi, at the end of July. Tom’ll be fine and wherever he lands will be lucky. In the meantime, pay the man.)
As for me? It’s been a busy few months. Perhaps I’ll go into more detail on some of the stuff in the future, but condensed to a short burst: In May, I bought a new car—the first time I’ve changed cars since 2006. I wasn’t expecting to have to buy a new car. Until it didn’t, the car I bought in 2006 was doing just fine at the car-stuff I needed it to do (driving, braking, windows rolling down). But then I took it in to have one thing fixed and they told me that Many Other Things needed to be fixed, which amounted to more than the car was worth. A week and a day later, I’m driving something that, in contrast to my Analog Car from the Bush II administration, feels like I’m driving an iPhone in 2035.
I thus decided to spend my summer driving around, seeing friends and listening to music—both live and in my Subaru iPhone Car, in which music sounds very good (if you’re just here for the music, scroll way down). I spent time with good friends in Detroit, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Greenville, Chicago, upstate NY, and Pittsburgh. Then I took some time home to water my plants, and I just spent a week driving from Michigan to Los Angeles, car camping along the way in Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Petrified Forest in Arizona.
I’ll be in L.A. for the next month and a half (if you’re here and know me, reach out!). Here’s my view:
If It’s Your First Time Here, I Try To Put One Of These Together Each Month. That Hasn’t Happened Much. Nevertheless, Here’s the 2024 Playlist I’ve Been Listening To This Summer:
Ezra Feinberg, “The Big Clock”
This is Lorelei, “Perfect Hand”
Hovvdy, “Forever”
Nicole Miglis, “Autograph”
Hundred Waters, “Towers”
Bat for Lashes, “Home”
Mabe Fratti, “Kravitz”
Gordan, “The Bell is Buzzing”
LA LOM, “Danza de LA LOM”
Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance, “Stages of Capitulation”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Frogs”
Cassandra Jenkins, “Only One”
Joan As Police Woman, “Long For Ruin”
Nilüfer Yanya, “Method Actor”
Goat Girl, “ride around”
Wu-Lu, “Daylight Song”
Normani, “Still”
Lupe Fiasco, “Samurai”
LL Cool J, “Passion”
Common f. Pete Rock “All Kind of Ideas”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Shoreline Mafia f. OHGEESY & Fenix Flexin, “HEAT STICK”
Denzel Curry f. TiaCorine & A$AP Ferg, “HOT ONE”
CHAII, “Fun”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Yeah x10”
Jamie xx, “Treat Each Other Right”
Charli XCX, “Apple”
Shenseea f. Coi Leray, “Flava”
Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
Dizzy Fae, “Try”
And Some 2024 Albums I’ve Enjoyed In Full:
Goat Girl Below the Waste (Rough Trade)
Hovvdy Hovvdy (Arts & Crafts)
The Marias Submarine (Nice Life/Atlantic)
Marina Allen Eight Pointed Star (Fire Records)
Normani Dopamine (RCA)
Rich Ruth Water Still Flows (Third Man)
This is Lorelei Box For Buddy, Box For Star (Double Double Whammy)
Water Damage In E (12XU)
+/- Further Afield (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)